Susan’s story

i wore trousers for 40 years to hide my thread veins

When I was about 19 I got my first thread vein by my ankle, it looked like a little firework that had exploded. It just got bigger and bigger and then it spread all the way up my legs. People would say “What have you done to yourself?”. They were just concerned but it was like a slap.

I wore trousers for the next 40 years but hated looking masculine. I remember, many years ago, my husband took a photograph of me when we were out walking in the woods with some friends. I asked him to rip it up. In my cords, shirt and short hair, I looked like a man. It upset me ever since. I felt worse and worse about having to wear trousers.

Then one day a colleague came in wearing pedal pushers and I said “Oh I wish I could wear those, but look at my legs!”. She said “Oh lord, you can have those taken off at the hospital Laser Clinic!” That’s what set me rolling.

When I came into the clinic, the staff were lovely and very positive. When she looked at my legs, Sue, the Ward Sister, just exploded and said “You are the perfect candidate for this!”.

I asked her to do as much as possible for the budget I had and she managed to get rid of all them all.

I’ve been wearing dresses ever since. I’m no oil painting but at least I don’t look masculine anymore! I look like a woman. So it has really changed my life.